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Liverpool have their ‘Fab Four’ and the Premier League have their ‘Fantastic Five’ as the quintet of English clubs all qualified for the last-16 of the Champions League - which is the first time any country has achieved that remarkable feat. Here there was also a Magnificent Seven goal rush.

Liverpool completed it in wonderful style, blowing away Spartak Moscow with an exhilarating attacking display orchestrated by their four relentless attackers. Philippe Coutinho, captaining the side, struck his first-ever Liverpool hat-trick while Sadio Mane, twice, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah all scored as they topped Group E.

Manager Jurgen Klopp had described this showdown as "all or nothing" and so his team gave their all and left the embarrassed Russian champions with nothing. The goals mean Liverpool scored an incredible 23 times in their six group games only bettered by Paris Saint-Germain this season, with a record 25 goals - and more than any English team has ever scored, more than Manchester United in 1998-99, when they won it.

“Wow, how did that happen,” Klopp later said, paying tribute to the threat posed by Spartak even though they were humiliated. For Liverpool it is the first time they have reached the Champions League group stages since 2009 and it felt like a significant landmark for them, having fallen short in 2010 and 2014, ahead of Sunday’s Merseyside derby. The one set-back, with ramifications for that fixture, was the loss of Alberto Moreno to an ankle injury that reduced him to tears.

The game was quickly over. Liverpool claimed three goals in a devastating 17-minute first-half spell, aided by some horrendous defending from Spartak, partly forced by some awesome attacking from all angles. The lead was gift-wrapped inside four minutes. It came from a penalty, awarded after Georgi Dzhikiya bizarrely pulled back Salah following a cross by Coutinho even though it was sailing over the head of the pair of them. Did Dzhikiya slip? Maybe. But he still held Salah’s arm, bringing the striker down with him. Coutinho stepped up and calmly lifted the ball to the goalkeeper’s left as Aleksandr Selikhov dived to his right.

Coutinho scores Liverpool's first from the spotCredit:
Getty images

The Kop’s raucous reaction had probably helped make up the mind of Polish referee Szymon Marciniak but it was some mad defending by Dzhikiya. It was also – at three minutes and 51 seconds – the fastest-ever goal in a Champions League game at this stadium.

Liverpool were buoyed; Liverpool were rampant. Klopp had reunited that attacking quartet, after several games of rotation, although he later described the formation as a more defensive-minded 4-4-1-1 with Mane and Coutinho wide midfielders and Salah behind Firmino. Whatever it was, it worked. They broke, with all four involved, as Mane slid the ball through to Salah who switched it out to Firmino. The striker had time and space and rolled it across the area for Coutinho to side-foot back across goal and into the net.

Then they struck again - and again Spartak were culpable as they lost possession on half-way with Mane sprinting into their area and crossing towards Salah. The ball was intercepted by Serdar Tasci – it may well have been another penalty as it struck the defender’s arm – but it rebounded to Firmino who curled it first-time inside the far post with the outside of his right boot.

So the tie was finished. Liverpool had drawn 1-1 in Moscow in September, but Spartak were without Quincy Promes, their leading scorer, the captain, Denis Glushakov, and the striker Ze Luis on that occasion and although their record in Europe is modest they had lost just one of their past 19 games in all competitions. However any Klopp concerns had been quickly blown away.

Once more the quartet combined with Coutinho playing an ‘around-the-corner’ pass to Firmino who ferried it on for Salah who flicked it out wide to allow Mane a clear run on goal. It was a glorious set-up – only for Mane to blast over…just as Salah did after wriggling free moments later.

Moreno’s replacement was James Milner and such was Liverpool’s dominance that he popped up as a left-winger, not a left-back, involving himself in three of the four second-half goals. Soon after the re-start they struck with Coutinho pushing the ball out wide to Milner who crossed for Mane to scissor a glorious, acrobatic right-footed volley high into the net. It was a stunning finish.

Sadio Mane scores the goal of the night to make it 4-0Credit:
Getty images

Anfield erupted for that one and then, also, for Coutinho as he completed that hat-trick, collecting a short pass from Milner and driving his shot goalwards with it ricocheting heavily off defender Salvatore Bocchetti and beyond the wrong-footed Selikhov. It was Liverpool’s first Champions League hat-trick for 10 years.

Mane claimed his second with Firmino’s replacement Daniel Sturridge pulling out wide right, from Salah’s pass, and unselfishly crossing low for Mane to stretch, as he stumbled, and side-foot home. Sturridge should have had a penalty, when he was felled by Selikhov, and then the striker flicked the ball over under pressure.

Finally it was Salah who did score – and how odd it would have felt if he had not! - with Milner alertly heading the ball back infield towards Sturridge, who smartly jumped over it. It ran to Salah who checked and fired high into the goal to complete the rout, the second time they have scored seven in Europe this season. It was some show of power.

Who could Liverpool face?

Full time

And that's that. Liverpool have strolled, incredibly, to their second 7-0 win of this group stage alone. That really was very impressive stuff from the hosts, but Spartak were truly awful and didn't make much of a game of it.

Liverpool will be pleased to have won that without expending too much effort, the only blemish Alberto Moreno's injury ahead of Sunday's Merseyside derby.

81 mins

Big penalty shout and Sturridge cannot believe it hasn't been given. Coutinho scoops a ball over the defence, Sturridge runs onto it, tries to tap it past the onrushing keeper, but replays show Selikhov gets an inadvertent touch on it before Spartak scramble it clear.

GOAL! Mane makes it 6-0!

Mane nicks possession inside the centre circle and Liverpool burst to life. Can finds Salah and Sturridge is advancing to his right. He looks up to see Mane arriving in the six yard box and squares the ball across goal for Mane to tap in. It was just behind him but he does well to force it home.

66 mins

61 mins

Very nearly six for Liverpool, Selikhov tips Salah's effort around the post after the Egyptian dances his way into the Spartak box, opens his body up and shoots left-footed towards the bottom left-corner. Good save.

59 mins

55 mins

Spartak can't get out of their half and Liverpool are rampant. Luiz Adriano turns well near halfway, and lofts a ball over Gomez for Melgarejo to chase, but the newly-introduced sub can't beat the Liverpool man for pace. I don't think Spartak have touched the ball in the Liverpool half since the break.

GOOOOOALL!! Coutinho completes his hat-trick to make it 5-0!

Liverpool are on fire! It's another move that starts off patiently and then sparks into life in the final third. Firmino finds Milner, who drills a ball into Coutinho on the edge of the box. One touch with his right to control, and a shot with his left without breaking stride, and a deflection wrong-foots Selikhov in the Spartak goal.

GOOOOOAALL!! Sadio Mane makes it four!

Maybe I was a little premature with that 5-0 prediction...

Milner gets forward down the left and Coutinho finds him. With his first touches Milner controls the ball and whips in a perfect cross to Mane at the back post, and he meets it on the volley nearly at chest height to slam into the top corner! What a finish that is and Liverpool score within two minutes of the half starting.

This last one is really interesting. Spartak have had more of the ball and have just about played more passes in the final third, but just look at how many straight passes Liverpool are playing in attacking areas. They are just so clinical on the break and the scoreline reflects that.

44 mins

41 mins

Spartak are committing men forward and they have a couple of shooting opportunities blocked by good Liverpool defending. One of those challenges has caused Alberto Moreno an injury - he is down receiving treatment, and for some reason Philippe Coutinho is over there helping out...

Moreno is hobbling to the sideline. He's nodding, which I am interpreting as "yes, thanks. I'm ok."

38 mins

36 mins

Firmino turns well into space in midfield, and slides a ball towards Salah who is racing through the space between the two centre-backs. He knows he has Mane in support and plays a beautiful little flick around the corner for the Senegal international to run onto. He's bearing down on goal and should make it four... but miscues his shot and skies it into the stand.

34 mins

A nasty-looking collision as Ze Luis goes charging through on goal with Gomez. The Liverpool man looks favourite to get there but here comes Loris Karius! He goes flying into the challenge and all three players smash into each other. They all get up to see the linesman's flag was up! Rush of blood to the head, that.

29 mins

26 mins

Liverpool certainly aren't finished yet, Coutinho lining up an effort for his third by he is halted as he kicks Luiz Adriano's leg and crumples to the floor on the edge of the box. The Spartak man gets none of the ball, so surely that was a foul??

21 mins

GOOOOOALLL! Liverpool 3-0 Spartak (Firmino)

This is ridiculously easy for Liverpool. Glushakov drills an awful pass at the heels of his advancing left-back, it bounces off him and falls to Sadio Mane. He drives at the Spartak goal, dinks a ball in to the centre, it hits Bochetti (possibly on the arm) and Firmino comes steaming in to slam home Liverpool's third. Game over.

GOOOOOAL!!! Liverpool 2-0 Spartak Moscow (Coutinho)

Coutinho gets his second of the game to double Liverpool's lead, and it's a lovely goal involving each of the Fab Four.

Mane starts things off by drifting through midfield unchallenged, he feeds Salah, whose first time pass finds Firmino, and rather than shooting from an angle the Brazilian finds his compatriot Coutinho arriving at the back post and lays it on a plate for him. Two goals for Coutinho and Liverpool are strolling.

14 mins

A good break from Spartak with Zobnin getting forward well on the right, and feeding Luiz Adriano in a central position. He never gets his head up and doesn't notice he has options ahead of him. Instead he shoots from the edge of the box and though he hits it well enough, it's a save Karius will expect to make.

10 mins

8 mins

Spartak have responded well, linking play in midfield and forging their first half chance of the game. Promes shoots from Ze Luis' lay-off but his effort is deflected over. The corner comes to nothing.

7 mins

The volume is rising at Anfield and the referee is allowing the game to spice up. He dishes out a second yellow inside seven minutes, with Emre Can harshly booked for lunging in, let's say, enthusiastically, in midfield.

PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL!

Coutinho lofts a hopeful ball into the Spartak box and Mo Salah goes to ground along with Dzhikiya and there are some hopeful calls for a penalty in the stands. The referee takes a second and then gives it! It's so, so, so soft, but the defender gets a yellow card, too.

2 mins

All the early possession for the visitors, and all the early noise coming from the away end. There simply cannot be any complacency from Liverpool tonight against a side many will be expecting them to beat.

But he is Spartak's top scorer and has the most assists in the Russian Premier League, while he has two goals and two assist in four Champions League games. We know Liverpool's weaknesses are at the back, and Promes will carry much of the visitors' threat.

Liverpool's youth team played Spartak earlier...

And it ended with Rhian Brewster being dragged away from his Russian opponents following the final whistle. Liverpool accused Spartak of racism - not for the first time this season - and Brewster alleges that he was abused by opposing players.

Youth team coach Steven Gerrard confirmed Liverpool will be following the matter up and Uefa will no doubt investigate.

Klopp explains his selection decisions

“I thought the best way not to lose is to win the game. Like always, we will need perfect organisation and we show our respect for the opponent with our attitude in the game.

“No line-up gives you the guarantee for a win, we always work with probabilities and stuff like this.

“It’s a completely different game [to the one in Russia], they have a different side with three or four important players back in the squad. There is no difference in our approach because you cannot draw with the intention to draw for 90 minutes, that does not work.

“We have to work, be well organised and play football. It is our home game and we are a strong side, so we should show that – we should show what we are fighting for.”

Preamble

Here we go then, it's all or nothing for Liverpool tonight. Well, that's what Jurgen Klopp said yesterday ahead of this tie. He wants "Anfield to be at its best" as Liverpool aim to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time since 2009.

So, this is the situation: Liverpool are top of Group E, and require a point to guarantee their place in the next round. However, with second-place Sevilla expected to beat rank outsiders Maribor in the group's other fixture, Klopp's men may actually need three points to fend off Sevilla and secure top spot. Here's how the table looks going into tonight's game:

You might think Liverpool should just be happy to make it through, but there is a difference between first and second place when it comes to second round opponents.

Finish second, as Chelsea did last night, and the only teams Liverpool could face would be Barcelona, PSG or Besiktas. Finish top and the options aren't much easier, but they could include Basel, Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk. Small margins and all that...